Obama’s plan to spend $100 mn on brain research gets applaud

US President Barack Obama's plan to invest $100 million in The Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative receives acknowledgement from Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA)

Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) applauds US President Barack Obama's plan to invest $100 million in The Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative (Source Pete Souza, The Obama-Biden Transition Project)

Singapore: The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA), a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to optimal care for people with Alzheimer's disease and their families, applauded US President Barack Obama's announcement to invest $100 million in ground-breaking research that will map the human brain.

The Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, an idea that the President first noted in his State of the Union address earlier this year, is aimed at uncovering new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury.

Mr Carol Steinberg, acting CEO, Alzheimer's Foundation of America, said that, "The Alzheimer's Foundation of America applauds President Obama for committing substantial research dollars toward the better understanding the human brain and for his continuing recognition of the public health crisis posed by Alzheimer's disease. The BRAIN Initiative is an exciting development and a potential game changer in unlocking the mysteries of Alzheimer's disease."

"This far-reaching project holds the promise of providing deeper insights into concepts such as cognitive reserve, ultimately leading to ways to treat or even prevent Alzheimer's disease. It is just the shot in the arm that both scientists and families need right now, especially in light of flat research funding for Alzheimer's disease and the threat of this devastating disease overwhelming more and more Americans. AFA's hope is that funding for the BRAIN Initiative is the start of a pipeline of stepped-up funding for other research toward an effective treatment and cure of Alzheimer's disease as well as for care-related support services for individuals with the disease and their caregivers," he added.

Dr Jacobo Mintzer, chairman, Alzheimer's Foundation of America's Medical and Scientific Advisory Board, and professor at the College of Health Professions,Medical University of South Carolina, US, said that, "I was delighted by today's announcement regarding the BRAIN Initiative. Today we start a journey full of expectations and unknowns. Where will the understanding of brain functioning lead us? Will it be possible to understand how the brain processes information, how lesions in the brain alter cognitive networks, and how the brain overcomes them? Will we be able to intervene in the process? Will we discover how pharmacological treatments affect this process?"